Blanket Disclaimer: The writer does not own any characters created by Rumiko Takahashi but like everyone else wishes she did. All original characters or concepts are the author's Inuma Asahi De's (with the exception of historical figures).
Chapter Five:
The Affair
Kagome walked through the town on Miroku's (Peter as she knew him) arm, Sango on the man's other side, her brown eyes grazing at the city intently as she walked. Kagome glanced at the other woman, taking in the beautiful scarlet gown that she had worn the day before. The material swished around the girl's feet, hiding her high laced boots from view as well as her stocking clad feet. On her head was a beautiful scarlet hat, tilted to the side, her hair piled underneath it meticulously.
"She's stunning." Kagome thought to herself as she turned away from the older woman to look down at her own green gown, the same gown she wore almost every day. It was very common for women to wear the same outfit multiple times in a week because they typically only owned one or two. Still, Kagome wished she owned a prettier gown like Mrs. Smith did. She wished she had a scarlet gown or a deep blue one but her mother won't allow it. "I guess only proper women deserve a proper gown."
She glanced at Mrs. Smith again, unaware that this woman was in fact the same as her, exactly the same.
Looking away Kagome thought back to the previous day, thinking of the previous night. It had been magical, dancing with a man for the first time in such a way, she really wanted to do it again and yet—her eyes turned towards Mrs. Smith, glancing at the older woman out of the corner of her eye—she had no right.
Last night she had done the ultimate misdeed, she had kissed a man's hand, she had kissed the Captain's hand, she had kissed a married Captain's hand in a rush of reciprocating passion. Kagome really wasn't sure why she had done such a thing. She really wasn't sure why the Captain had kissed her hand in the first place. It was really strange, the way he had removed his glove, the way he had removed her glove, and the long luscious kiss he had placed on her hand.
Why would he do such a thing? Unless—he was feeling something very powerful, maybe he felt the same sensation in his stomach. Maybe the Captain got the same butterflies that she had felt within her belly, beating their wings in time with an emotion she had never known. Maybe, he had that same emotion, maybe he felt it just as strong, and maybe that was why he had kissed her hand. He had been feeling something so strong that he couldn't deny it and then he let it all out in the most romantic and sensual action she had ever experienced in her seventeen years of life.
She flushed at the thought of the Captain being overcome with emotion. It made her feel almost, tingly. No one had ever been interested in her, no man had ever kissed her hand like that. She was Kagome, the misfit, the daughter of ill willed propriety, the rebel, the boy disguised among green gown and petticoat. No one wanted her, no one ever had, until—his beautiful eyes with their deep penetrating gold had looked at her from across the sea.
Even if that was so, however, Kagome felt embarrassed and guilty over her sudden interest in men, or more certainly, over her sudden interest in a married man.
Kagome glanced at the somewhat older woman for the thousandth time, wondering if 'Mrs. Smith' had noticed the way her husband and Kagome had acted when they arrived on the scene of the crime last night. She was pretty sure Mr. Woodson and Mrs. Smith hadn't seen her kiss the Captain's hand but—for some reason—she still felt like she had been caught. She prayed that Mrs. Smith would not catch on, whether it was to protect the woman's feeling or to protect her own, she wasn't sure.
"Where shell we go, ladies?" The first mate asked as he held onto both women on either arm.
Kagome glanced at him, noting that he was rather charming with his clean shaven face and black hair tied back in a short rat tail. Even his uniform was very fitting on his lean body and seemed to hug his muscular shoulders, they were strong, the shoulders of a man of the sea. She was surprised that she hadn't noticed him two days ago when she had first met the group—he was after all very handsome—but then again, the piercing eyes of the Captain had captivated her so greatly that she had been unable to see anything other than him. Even now, with the Captain gone from sight, those eyes were still visible in her mind. They were haunting her, lusting for her, causing her to feel things that were better ignored.
With a shake of her head she turned towards the Captain's wife. "What would you like to see Mrs. Smith?" Kagome questioned before those eyes could bore any father into her imagination.
Sango turned towards Kagome and smiled kindly—her teeth showing, they were surprisingly white Kagome noticed. "I am afraid I do not know much of Port Royal. Perhaps you can show us the most impressive parts of your town." Sango turned away from Kagome then, her eyes focusing on the town's people around them. "I would rather like to have fond memories of the area, especially after such a terrible fright in the storm."
Kagome nodded and looked to see where they were currently headed. She glanced at the shops that lined the street, noting the signs that hung out above their doors. Just the sight of one that read, Apothecary told her they were on Highstreet. Kagome smiled, she knew of the perfect place to take them. "We can go to Fort James."
"Fort James?" Sango inquired.
"Yes," Kagome said with a smile on her face. She had often seen her mother entertain her guest and she knew that when a person came to Port Royal they wanted to see one thing, the one thing Henry Morgan had done for the human people in his time there. "From Fort James, you can see Gallows Point."
Miroku stopped and looked at Kagome with unreadable eyes. He felt Sango tighten her hold on his arm, ever so slightly. "Gallows' Point?"
"Why yes," Kagome said with the same cheery smile on her face. "Most people who visit the Port want to see the Gallows. It is the most memorable part of our town."
"Of course." Miroku whispered to Kagome as he started to walk again. "I guess we should see it then, shouldn't we, Mrs. Smith?" He looked down at the woman who was clutching his arm. She looked back at him and barely nodded as she allowed Miroku to lead her on, as they allowed Kagome to lead them on.
They turned the corner of High Street leading to another people filled road, the sight of the fort already visible to Miroku's eyes. It was a small fortified wall, not a true fort, which held a watch tower facing towards the continent. Most likely its use was simply to spot trouble and yet, it was the best view of the Gallows that Port Royal was so famous for. He gulped deep in his throat as he remembered the pirates he had met over the years with the Captain. Quite a few of them had met their end in those Gallows' and there had been nothing that could be done for it—not one thing.
He looked down at the small woman on his arm. This young girl, was she excited to show them such a horrible place? A place where so many people had lost their lives, only because they had done what they had to do in order to live in this world? Did she agree with the killing of pirates? Would she hate them if she knew their real nature?
Looking at the youthful girl, looking into her innocent face as she walked with him her arm looped with his, he just couldn't believe her to be capable. He couldn't see this woman watching a man die with sick fascination on her face, with happiness in her eyes, with thrill in them as a man's neck cracked under the weight of the noose. He looked back at Sango, they made brief eye contact and he knew that she was thinking the same thing:
Was Kagome Dresmont just another hater of pirates, who would sooner kill them than try to know them?
They arrived at Fort James and watched as Kagome managed to convince the guard to let them pass. It didn't appear to be that hard a task but Kagome had done it well and quick. They walked together as a group, making the stairs slowly as they watched the ocean come into view. It was a breathtaking sight. The water was so clear one could see fish swimming in the sea even at this distance and the sea was calm like a mirror reflecting everything that came into its pane. The clouds, a seagull, even the fort and the island shore, it reflected everything, the ocean showing the greatest truths within that reflect.
Miroku smiled at the sight, delighting in a calm and peaceful sea. It was so different from the week before when the ocean had been violent and angry with them, trying to sink them into the underbelly of the waves. It always amazed him—the two sides of the sea—the ability to be so beautiful and so deadly all at once. And today the sea looked so amazingly serene and yet—one thing offset the beauty of it, one thing destroyed the mirror.
Out in the distance one could also see something very dreadful within that handsome calm. Looming, coming out of the sea like some tortured hunk of gravestone, was a petite island devoid of any trees, of any life. It was small—too small for a house or anything of the sort but just big enough to fit a wooden platform. Miroku looked at that platform and saw the ghost of good men, the ghost of bad ones.
He could almost see the face of one in particular. A man he had only met once when he was a small child hiding behind the Captain's leg as it were. He remembered seeing the man with the calico colored jacket, the way him and the Captain had talked like old friends. He remembered the woman who was beside the calico colored man, she had been dressed like Sango in man's clothing and had smiled at him gently—asking the Captain if Miroku was his son. The Captain had laughed, patted Miroku's head, and said:
"He is a son, to me at least."
It was a fond memory for Miroku, the only time the Captain had ever called him his son and it had been in the presence of Captain Calico Jack Rackarm, the Captain's friend.
"Calico met his end here." Miroku said in a small voice drawing both women to look at him.
"Calico Jack?" Kagome asked in a similar voice before she looked out at the scene of the platform. There were a total of eight ropes, swinging gently in the breeze as a warning for pirates entering the harbor. "Yes, he is one of the more famous men to meet his end here." She looked out at the ocean—she watched the waves as they hit the small Island, they were surprisingly gentle.
Sango glanced at Miroku, she knew the stories of Calico—he had been a friend of the Captain along with his wench Anne Bonny. To her knowledge Miroku had met them only once when he was barely nine years old. He had often told her it was a good memory—although he had never fully explained why.
"Many a man has died here." Miroku said sadly as he looked out onto the ocean. "Many a woman."
"Yes, they have." Sango agreed at his side, watching the waves with the same fascination that Kagome often watched them with. "A death by hanging," She continued. "Is a gruesome way to die."
Kagome looked at Sango as she spoke, as if she was contemplating what Sango had meant by those words. She looked back towards Gallows Point and felt the sadness enter her heart as she looked at this place. The clear water of the sea was lapping at the Island's shore. It seemed so peaceful for a place that had caused so much chaos and destruction of life. Kagome sighed at the thought and relieved herself of the first mates arm walking away from both the disguised Sango and the disguised Miroku.
Carefully, she removed her gloves, placing them in the waist of her stay as she approached the railing of the fort wall. She placed her ungoverned hands on the railing, liking the way the brick felt underneath her naked fingers, delighting in the warmth that radiated under her palms. "Isn't it sad?" She said, speaking straight from her heart as she often did.
"Sad," Miroku parroted, his voice gentle as he watched this aristocratic woman. This woman who was dressed with no fashion sense, this woman who had taken off her gloves, this woman who had been born with a silver spoon in her mouth but didn't seem capable of taking advantage of it.
"Yes, it is a very sad place." Kagome continued on as she looked out at the Gallows. Her eyes misty with unshed tears. "I have seen people die there, boys and girls, men and women."
Sango bit her lip at the thought. Although it wasn't common, pirates did keep their children on their ships sometimes. Usually, once the wench was pregnant they would drop the mother to be on shore. Then they would only return to check on her and the child intermittently. Once the child was old enough, if it was a boy, he would join the ship as Cabin Boy, even if his father was the Captain. At such time, if the ship was captured, the boy was as good a pirate in the eyes of the law just like any man on board, therefore, just like his father he was hung. She glanced at Miroku, realizing that this could have easily happened to him when he was a boy. She thanked heaven that it had not.
"All these men ever did was live their lives the way they were forced to." Kagome started again as she continued to look outwards, away from Sango and Miroku. "They were outcasts, weren't they? They took to the only thing they could call home, the only place that would accept them regardless and they were killed because of the way they were forced to survive. I can understand that."
Sango and Miroku both looked at each other and then back at the woman leaning on the railing. Her words were not that of a common woman. Most women feared pirates above anything else, they were known to rape and pillage, kill before talk, and drink with their sword and their gun in hand. It was not something the average woman would find Romantic and yet—this girl spoke of them as if—as if she wished she was them.
"I envy them," Kagome said in reply to Sango and Miroku's thoughts. "Not their deaths, but their way of life itself." Kagome took in the scent of the sea air, not realizing how dangerous her words could be. "To live how you want to—to live without social obligation, to simply sail the seas for all eternity. I may not be able to kill or steal but I would like it—I would like to simply be free on the waves. To defy social convictions for the sake of my soul."
"Miss Dresmont." Sango whispered, drawn in by this young girls words.
"But here I am, a high ranking Official's daughter. Forced to marry a man I don't love for prestige." Kagome looked down at the lapping waves as they touched the side of Fort James. "A man four years younger than myself. I wish, I wish I could ebb like the tide—ebb away from my lot in life."
"Oh, Miss Dresmont." Sango said again, she knew all too well how Kagome was feeling, the thoughts that were running in her head.
Society was a nasty mistress, its social convictions hard to beat. Women were always forced to do what they did not want to do—they were forced to live a life chosen for them, chosen by their parents, a life that was not in their emotional best interest.
"You speak as if you know." Sango added as her heart stretched out to the girl before her.
Kagome eye's snapped opened and she looked back at the two, her face flushed and her eyes panicked. "I'm so sorry," She said with a bow of her head as her fingers worried together in front of her. "My mouth has run away from me."
Sango smiled at the girl as she felt her heart warm up even more to the slightly younger woman. "Do not fret." She said, her eyes happy to see this girl as something more than a rich man's daughter. "I have often wondered—," She paused so she could word her sentence exactly right. "What it would be like to live the life my husband does."
Kagome watched Mrs. Smith, her eyes connecting with the other woman's. At that moment she felt as if she had found a kindred spirit: someone who would always understand her silly thoughts, her strange opinions, and her love of the sea around her. "Wouldn't it be—," She paused and looked away from Sango, out across the harbor, to where the Captain's boat sat in the much deeper water. "No. It would have been great to have been born a man."
Sango felt her face flush under the hot Caribbean sun but smiled none the less. "Yes," She agreed as the connection between her and Miss Dresmont seemed to instantly grow. "It would have been wonderful."
In the background Miroku watched and felt love fill his heart at the sight of Sango talking with the girl. Perhaps, this was good for her, perhaps it was good for Sango to talk to another woman, who felt the same way she did. Sango so often called herself the female outcast—the unwanted woman because of both her past and the fact that she had an unnatural affinity for the sea. And here, in front of her now, was a woman who had admitted to the same longing, the same interest and want. It made Miroku's heart warm to think that Sango had finally found a female who could be—a friend.
Kagome and 'Mrs. Smith's' initial awkwardness disappeared at that moment and as if by magic the two became instant best friends. Yes, they had been happy to be together yesterday but now it appeared that there was something more to it. Now they were not just female companions among a sea of men, they were two women with a common life experience.
They stepped down from Fort James happy and carefree, their arms now linked together as Miroku followed at a distance. He kept his eye out, searching the faces of the people around him, wondering if any of them had been tipped off, if any of them knew who he was and who his Captain really was.
He kept his eyes opened for the Captain as well and was not surprised to see neither hid nor hair of him. But then again, the places Miroku was visiting in Port Royal were not the same places the Captain was attending today. Today was a time for underhanded deals, in the belly of the Port. The Captain was in places that they wouldn't even bring Sango to because of the quality of men that took up resident there. He looked at Sango laughing with Kagome and was glad she had the opportunity to go with her instead of being left on board the ship to wait.
"Oh look, is that a fabric store?" Sango said suddenly, stepping towards the window of a shop filled to the brim with fabric and material, threads and needles.
"Yes, this is Miss Clarmont's store. She is a fine seamstress and even sells material to ladies who can make their own dresses." Kagome touched the glass, the woman in her coming out slightly. Although, she was a person who liked the ocean, she also secretly loved looking at material. She loved to see the patterns, the design that had been so carefully woven into each of the bolts of fabric. To Kagome, it was like studying the sky. "Would you like to go inside?"
Sango's eye lit up and Miroku couldn't help but smile at her. She was beautiful, absolutely beautiful as she looked at Kagome—feeling like a woman for the first time in years. "Yes, let's." She turned to Miroku. "Is that okay Peter?"
"Certainly." He replied not noticing Kagome's odd look in their direction.
It was not proper for a woman to call a man by his first name, that is unless they were related or married (although most married women still addressed their husbands rather formally among company). Not even close friends were permitted the luxury of referring to each other by their first name, unless they were of the same gender and had known each other for a substantial amount of time.
Miroku stepped around Kagome, still not noticing her strange expression and opened the door for both of them. He held it wide and bowed his head, one hand elongating to motion them inside. "Ladies," He addressed and then glanced upwards, his eyes sparkling as he took in the sight of Sango, who blushed under his gaze.
Arm still linked with Sango, Kagome gave the woman a funny look, not sure what to make of the strange behavior, first Mrs. Smith referring to the first mate by his first name, and then the odd visual exchange between the two, it was all rather curious—very curious.
The two walked passed Miroku and into the store the two separating their linked arms so they could move about the store. From the back a rather plain middle aged woman came out of a small door leading to the back of the shop where the dresses were made. She looked towards Kagome, her eyes dull from years of staring at needles and threads. "Miss Dresmont," She addressed formally. "Did you require assistance with anything today?"
Kagome turned towards her, giving the woman a proper, if not a little forced smile. "No Miss Clarmont, we are simply looking."
"Right then, call if you need anything." And with those words the woman disappeared back into the back of the shop, appearing to not care for Kagome at all.
Sango blinked a few times, looking at the doorway the woman had disappeared into. She glanced over at Kagome, the two women making eye contract. "Is she always like that?"
"With me everyone's like that." Kagome replied bluntly with a dry look on her face before she turned back to the piles of fabrics and spool of thread. "I guess I'm just a true misfit."
Sango looked at Kagome with sad eyes. She understood the feeling of being an utter misfit. Sango took in the sight of the sad girl as Kagome shifted through fabrics. Instantly, she felt the need to do something or say something to change the frown on that girls face. "Look at this one Miss Dresmont." Sango held up a spool of fabric, showing off the beautiful aqua color. "I think it would look lovely on you."
Kagome flushed and nodded as she studied the wave like material, her mind now off the previous sad thoughts. It really looked like the waves of the Caribbean, with its gently changing blues; it even seemed to shine in the light as Mrs. Smith held it up to the window for her to see. "It is beautiful," Kagome commented as she reached out and touched the fabric, running the material through her fingers. "It feels so soft too."
Mrs. Smith nodded and placed the fabric back down in its spot, lightly touching one next to it. It was ruby red.
"You really like red, Mrs. Smith." Kagome commented as she stepped next to the older woman. "It does suit you."
"Yes." Mrs. Smith agreed and looked behind her at the disguised Miroku.
He looked completely bored out of his mind already as he sat behind them in a small chair. He was trying hard not to fall asleep as he waited for them to be done with their fabric search. Sango felt a little bad for him but at the same time, she was really enjoying her time with this girl. It had been three years since she had been able to talk with a girl—like a friend.
Sure, women came onto the ship and went, used for the services that their gender allotted. But those women—Sango glanced at Kagome—they were nothing like this girl. Kagome was smart and witty, her tongue was quick and she was easily embarrassed by it but that did not hinder her. She spoke her mind and flitted with the breeze, a soft tone of reality in an otherwise blind culture. Sango smiled at the very thought—this girl was so sweet—she almost wished—
Sango stopped her thoughts, not wanting to admit to herself what she was thinking. But like most thoughts it is hard to deny them once they have touched the mind. She wished that Kagome could come with them.
They continued to look through the store, looking at the different fabrics happily—Sango's thoughts pushed back for the time being.
"I should get a gown made, a blue one." Kagome said as she filtered through the fabrics. "I have only four gowns."
Sango looked up in shock. "Four, I have only two gowns."
Kagome looked up in shock as well, her eyes locked with Sango. Quickly she covered her amazement and went back to looking at the selection. "Only one was made for me," She touched the dress she currently wore. "The others are my mother's."
Sango nodded and looked down at the rack of fabric. "With my mother dead—,"
"I thought your mother was alive." Kagome set the fabric down, her eyes focusing on Sango with curiosity.
"I meant father." Sango quickly covered. "With my father dead it is hard to get dresses."
Kagome seemed to accept the answer, even if it was strange for a married woman to rely on her father for dresses, and they went back to looking at fabric. Every once in a while exchanging ideas on dress designs. It was something that Kagome had never enjoyed before. It was something she liked when she was with Mrs. Smith. With her other friends it was so formal, talking about what colors were the best to attract a husband, which colors were ugly. With her other friends they focused more on the gossip, making fun of the colors some women wore, making fun of those women, suggesting things about them. It wasn't for Kagome.
With Sango it was all about the fabric, they talked about the bolts, discussing what the colors reminded them of. The blue ones were either the sky or the ocean, the red either flame or a sunset, the green the forest or tall grass. It was fun—looking at fabric with no intention of buying it for a man.
Soon enough they noticed the light shifting outside, they noticed the setting of the sun. Sango frowned feeling oddly disappointed. "I guess we will have to head back," She said softly.
Kagome looked at her and sighed sadly, she had really enjoyed herself in the presence of Mrs. Smith. It had been the most fun she had ever had with another woman.
"Peter," Mrs. Smith called and looked towards the man who was nearly asleep in a chair by the wall. She smiled and walked towards him, gently she rubbed his arm and Kagome raised an eyebrow. The gesture, the soft way she touched him—the friendly way she touched him. "Wake up, it's time to meet the Captain."
The First Mate mumbled something Kagome could not hear but she did see the smile that lit up Mrs. Smith's face as she called his name again. Kagome watched as his eyes opened and he looked at Mrs. Smith with eyes Kagome only saw on husband's faces. Kagome watched in fascination as the Quartermaster smiled at the Captain's wife, she watched as he leaned upwards, she watched as his lips met hers, she watched as they kissed—not on the hand, not on the forehead—right on the lips.
Kagome's eyes grew wide as did Sango's. "Miroku!" She yelled and the man became fully awake.
"What?" He replied confused, only to look passed her, passed her at the startled face of none other than Kagome Dresmont—daughter of the Human Representative of Port Royal.
"You," Kagome said her wide eyes highlighted by her flushed cheeks. She brought a hand up to cover her burning cheeks. "You're having an affair."
Miroku took a deep breath. She hadn't commented on the use of his real name, maybe she hadn't even heard it. That meant they could simply go along with her assumption. It was the safest thing to do. He glanced at Sango and was shocked to see the red on her own cheeks.
"Miss Dresmont," The girl said softly as she put one hand to her chest. She looked down at the ground, her eyes filled with tears.
"What of your husband?" Kagome said with her own eyes filled with tears. "He's your husband, how could you go against him so?"
"You don't understand." Sango said and Miroku watched her, surprised as real tears fell from her cheeks.
"It is a matter of propriety." Kagome countered back as she felt her heart grow sick. A woman having an affair was a dangerous woman. Her children could never be identified, her status could never be reclaimed and yet, Kagome felt her heart leap for Mrs. Smith. She felt her heart leap because of what this meant for her own quilt.
Miroku frowned at the word 'propriety', he understood it sure enough, he knew what it meant, the Captain had taught him very well but—sometimes he forgot, forgot that Sango had once been like this women, Miss Dresmont. She had once been a woman of fortune. Sango must know how horrible this was, the thought that one was having an affair.
"No Miss Dresmont." Sango spoke up suddenly, her eyes filled to the brim with salty water a mixture very similar to the sea. "It is not a matter of propriety," She said looking straight into Kagome's eyes. "It is a matter of my heart."
Kagome froze at Sango's words, her hand rushing to her heart, holding the material of her dress that was on her chest. The thought—the words—the connotations. "But," Kagome said in a small voice as she began to do something she never thought she would do: She spoke her mother's words. "We are women—our hearts are not above our duty to our blood—our family."
Sango looked at Kagome, her eyes sparkling with tears as she moved towards the girl. She took Kagome's hand with her own and looked deep into Kagome's eyes. "I may be a women but that does not mean I have to be unhappy."
"Mrs. Smith." Kagome whispered and a small tear fell down her cheek. She thought of her own marriage, she thought of Naraku, she thought of how much she hated him, she thought of how much she wanted to run away from the life she had been handed. She looked back at Miroku and she wondered—would she have an affair. Would she eventually fall in love with someone she could not be with and sleep with him in the cover of night? Would she be forced to live the life that Mrs. Smith lived? She felt the tears overwhelm her face at the very idea, to live a life that was a lie, to have a marriage that was a fraud, a sham—
It was not a life she wanted. She wanted a life where she called the shots and made the life changing decisions. She wanted a life full of love and happiness with the one she loved on the forefront and not hiding in the shadows.
"I am so sorry Miss Dresmont." Sango spoke above Kagome's thoughts. "It is the way I have been forced to live. I married a demon man to make my family happy, I did as I was told and then—," She looked back at Miroku. "Met the man I love." She looked back at Kagome and looked at her with pleading eyes. "Please, I implore you, do not tell a soul."
Kagome didn't even have to think on her answer. "I would never dare."
Kagome looked at her with eyes that startled Sango. There was hope in those eyes, and, perhaps, longing. It was as if this woman was looking at Sango, thinking to herself, how she wished she could be brave enough to do what Sango was—what the fictional Mrs. Smith was.
"Thank you, Miss Dresmont." Sango said with a happy relieved smile. "I owe you so much."
A thought came into Kagome's head at Sango's words and she looked at Sango with a smile. "I have a favor to ask then, one that will be for your gratitude."
Sango glanced back at Miroku, neither one liked where this was going.
-break-
"What!" The Captain yelled as he, Miroku, and Sango stood in his quarters both culprits staring at the floor knowing they were in horrible trouble after having just told the Captain what had happened on shore with Miss Dresmont. "What if she talks, what if she tells someone, adultery is a big deal to people of high society," He paced back and forth in his cabin Sango and Miroku looking guilty in front of him. "If they accuse Sango of it they're gonna start thinking about bigger things," He stopped and slammed his hands onto the deck with a snarl. "And then you know what's gonna happened?" He screamed as he threw his hands up in the air and made an imaginary noose. "—rope around the neck we're fucking dead!"
Miroku winced at the rather loud slam of Inuyasha's fist against the wall. "That should have broke." He thought vaguely as he noticed the dent in the wood. "Totosai's getting better at making things Captain proof."
"Fuck it, what are we going to do!" Inuyasha moaned as he threw himself down into his desk chair grabbing the chain around his neck and fiddling with the small gem absently.
"Well," Miroku cleared his throat as he saw a lull begin in the Captain's anger knowing now was the time to speak. "We did make a deal with her," He spoke as evenly as he possibly could as the Captain glared up at him.
"Go on." The older man said with an almost sadistic smile.
"A favor," Miroku continued as he glanced at Sango who gave him an encouraging smile. "In exchange for her silence." He continued his voice cracking as he leaned as far away from the Captain as possible, while Sango at his shoulder still dressed in her gown and petticoat also took the opportunity to lean very far away.
"And what exactly did the favor entail?" Captain Inuyasha looked at them with narrowed eyes and a very scary smile on his face that reminded both Sango and Miroku of a cat about to catch a mouse and eat it.
"Um well it was a," Miroku cleared his throat once more and shifted back and forth from one foot to the other. "A tour of the ship," He managed to get out so quickly that his voice squeaked. "And lunch on board." Miroku attempted to smile with a forced laugh but the Captain lunging for him made him gasp and dodge.
"You idiot," Inuyasha screamed as he chased after Miroku in the small room. "If she comes on the ship she'll know." He shoved Sango out of the way as Miroku attempted to hide behind her.
"We didn't exactly have many options!" Miroku tried to yell as the Captain's hands moved around frantically attempting to grab ahold of the younger man's neck to strangle him.
"This is not a navy ship below!" He continued to yell as Miroku managed to use Sango as enough of a human shield that the Captain gave up trying to strangle him because of his inability to hurt any woman. "The outside may pass but the inside really won't!" He smacked his head with his hand before turning away from both of them and banging his head on the wall. "We don't even have a cook, Sango's the cook!" He waved at her with one hand as he banged his head again.
Sango sighed deeply as she watched both men feeling as if they were not men but incompetent boys. "We have three days before the tour," She spoke her voice almost irritated. "We can fix 'er up a bit and I can do the cooking like normal." She held up her hand to stop Inuyasha's already protesting lips. "I'll just tell her it's a hobby." She supplied as she continued too sooth the situation. "It's normal for societal girls to have hobbies, she'll understand."
Inuyasha growled low in his throat. "I don't want to even hear you talk right now you fucking adulteress." Inuyasha turned away from her and crossed his arms over his chest.
Sango bit her lip at the comment and felt all her anger rise to her throat all her earlier composure failing her in that moment. "You asshole!" She screamed causing the Captain to whip his head around and stare at her in shock. "First off, Miroku kissed me," she stabbed her finger towards the still cowering man behind her. "So he's the adulterer and second," She moved her finger to face towards him managing to gab it into his chest hard. "It was all your fucking idea, so I don't want to be blamed for even one second because of you're stupidity."
"It was for appearances." Inuyasha shot back as he pushed her hand away albeit verily gently. "What man would force his wife to wait on a ship for days?" He waved his hands in front of his face as if pleading with her for an answer that he didn't really want. "It was more responsible to find you a female companion."
"Well," Sango crossed her arms over her chest angrily. "If we're talking about appearances," Her voice came across the room dripping with sarcasm and contempt. "Let's talk about you and your strange interest in Miss Dresmont when we were on shore yesterday."
"This isn't about me and her." Inuyasha yelled back angrily as he started to pace throughout the cabin again.
"So there's a you and her?" Sango commented triumphantly with a snort as she pursed her lips.
"No there's not." He screamed turning around and glaring at her darkly. "She's just some little girl living under the umbrella of Henry Morgan." He yelled and glared his temper flaring as he flung his arms in the direction of the port town. "Besides it's not like I announced an affair publicly I just danced with her."
Both Miroku and Sango stared at the Captain in shock before turning and looking at one another in curosity as if to ask the other if they had both heard correctly. "Danced?" Sango said as she turned away from Miroku to give the Captain a confused frown. "You danced with her?"
"Now who's the adulterer." Miroku mumbled as he stepped out from behind Sango to stand shoulder to shoulder with her a smug look appearing on his face. "Would you like to explain yourself, hm?"
Inuyasha blushed bright red as he realized what he had just admitted too. "It's not important." He told them both as he tried to cover up his embarrassment by scratching the back of his head only to turn back around and glare at them once more. "And stop changing the subject, it's far more important that your affair is now on her mind." He pointed accusingly at both of them. "We're screwed because you two can't fucking hold it in for a day."
"Then you should have taken Miroku with you," Sango challenged getting very sick of the yelling very quickly. "And left Miss Dresmont and I alone so this wouldn't have happened." She finished loudly as she glared at him the earlier dancing comment put to the back of her mind to make way for the argument.
"Well," Inuyasha said with fire in his eyes. "It's improper to leave two women alone or have you forgotten your rich upbringing?" Inuyasha pointed an accusing finger at her. "If I would have left you alone, they would have known something was wrong." He slammed his hand into the desk once more this time causing the wood to crack under the force of the hit. "A man does not leave his wife and a lady he does not know to walk the streets without a proper escort!" He growled both from anger and his earlier embarrassment. "Fuck! That's the last time I ever do something nice for you."
Sango was stunned into silence, "He's right," She realized feeling almost slightly ill. "It's decorum and he's right—he's a hundred percent right. If he had left us unescorted they would have challenged his very upbringing." Surprised and in disbelief she fell into a nearby chair and buried her head in her hands conceding as her anger faded into guilt. The Captain had only been trying to let her have a good time with a female companion and according to propriety he had to offer them some male attendee. Everything he had done was the correct thing to do and they had screwed it up painfully. "What do we do?" She asked the air in front of her visions of the Gallows running through her mind. "We can't deny her, she has the upper hand."
Inuyasha took a deep breath and thought about the woman Miss Dresmont. In truth, he couldn't say he was completely angry with Sango and Miroku after all, what he had done was far worse and besides even that their actions had caused something magical to happen. There was a real chance now that he might be able to see her again, be near her again, and talk to her again.
His mind drifted to her hands, drifted to her soft touch and the way his lips felt when they touched that ungloved hand, the way her lips had felt when she did the same. He thought of her small body pressed against his, the look on her face when he had groaned, the innocent curiosity and the daring boldness. He closed his eyes, attempting to control himself but just the thought and idea of her caused something to pull in his gut. "It wouldn't be so bad seeing her again," He found himself thinking as his mind conjured up a very clear picture of her face. "It wouldn't be bad at all." That was one of the reasons he had made Sango go with her—oddly he had hoped something would happen that caused her to come back, so he could see her one last time. He had hoped it wouldn't be something so detrimental to their plan though.
"What do we do?" Miroku spoke up driving the Captain's thoughts away for now.
"We can't change what's been done." Inuyasha said as he took a seat in a rather large, almost throne like chair. He reached forward and took a pipe off the table stuffing it with tobacco before pulling a match out of a box. He lit the match with his skin, causing Sango and Miroku to both grimace and then brought it to the head of the pipe, puffing to catch the tobacco on fire. Pipe lit, he shook the match until it was out and laid it on the table. "We'll just have to bring her to the ship."
Sango and Miroku looked at each other in shock. "Bring her here?" Miroku questioned him. "You're seriously going to go through with it?"
"We have three days don't we?" Inuyasha brought the pipe out of his mouth and smiled at both of them, showing off scarcely hidden fangs. "This is a masquerade," He said with the smirk evident on his face. "And we have three days yet to prepare for the ball."
End of Chapter
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Bonus Point: Identify the one Disney reference in this chapter. Extra points if you identify the historical reference in Inuyasha's shore name, James Smith.
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Notes:
Calico Jack – historically Calico would have died much earlier than the time of this fanfiction. He died in 1720 (the fanfiction takes place in the 1780's) at Gallows' point, he was hung, tar and feathered, and then gibbeted.
Anne Bonny – one of two women on Calico Jack's ship (this is part of the reason he was famous, he carried women on board) she was his mistress and the mother of his child. She disappeared from record after being pardoned at Calico Jack's hanging. She was pardoned because she claimed to be pregnant.
Gallows' Point – although not created by Henry Morgan it was an actual place in Port Royal and was the spot of many pirates deaths by hanging or tar and feathering before they were gibbeted (hung on display)
Next Chapter: Just a Kiss
See you then!
UNEDITED
POST 2/18/2011